This invention relates to apparatus adapted for supporting and opening for convenient use plastic lawn and leaf bags or laundry bags.
Holders for flexible laundry bags, trash bags, or grass and leaf bags which are configured as a rigid box frame are known. Examples of such bag holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,157,801; 4,273,167; 4,442,567; 4,537,376; 4,708,246; 4,759,518; 4,901,959; 5,154,359; 5,924,657; 6,007,030; D308,271; and D399,623; issued respectively to Elmer; Stillwell; Pravettone; Bucku; Wolf; Yardas; Stage; Junta, et al.; Bach; Judge; Vreeken; and Kearney. A common drawback or deficiency of such rigid frame bag supports is that they are incapable of being alternately configured for height adjustability. The lack of a height adjustability feature frequently leads to situations where the floor of a bag held by such bag holders is left unsupported, allowing heavy articles within the bag to either tear the bag or pull the bag away from the holder. The instant inventive bag holder overcomes such drawbacks or deficiency by providing a novel bag support structure allowing the inventive bag holder to be alternately configured as a rigid box frame, and in a leg splaying configuration for height adjustability.
The instant inventive bag holder comprises an alternately configurable assembly whose chief components comprise an upper frame, first and second legs pivotally attached to the upper frame, and first and second leg extensions removably attachable in alternate configurations to the lower ends of the legs. Preferably, the upper frame of the assembly is slightly oblongated, cumulative peripheral dimensions allowing the upper frame to support the openings of common 33 gallon or 38 gallon plastic lawn and leaf bags. Preferably, the upper frame is from a length of outwardly opening xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d channel steel so that an elastic cord annularly situated within the channel may secure therearound plastic gags or fabric laundry bags. Alternately, the upper frame may comprise a simple bar formed into a rectangular loop. Where no outwardly opening elastic cord receiving channel is presented by the upper frame, bags are preferably secured thereto by means of clips.
Preferably, pivotal attaching means interconnect the legs with the lower surface of the upper frame at opposing ends of the upper frame, such opposing ends preferably being the short ends of the rectangle. Also, preferably, each leg has a width which allows it to co-extensively underlie the frame end to which it is attached. While a preferred pivotal attaching means comprises a simple sleeve hinge having a flat upper bearing surface for secure welding to the lower surface of the upper frame, numerous other pivotal attaching means such as cylindrical collar hinges, leaf hinges, pin and device hinges, pin and eye hinges, flexible sheet hinges, gear hinges, butt hinges, strap hinges, xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d hinges, slip joint hinges, and spring hinges may be suitably utilized.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each leg is fabricated from xc2xcxe2x80x3 to xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3 steel bar stock, configured as a downturned xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d, whose upper cross member (i.e., the base of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d) serves as a hinge pin extending through the preferred hinge sleeves. Preferably, the lengths of the legs are fitted so that they may pivotally move between first and second positions, the legs folding beneath the upper frame upon pivotal movement to their first positions, the legs extending downwardly from the upper frame upon opposite pivotal movement to their second positions. Where the legs are configured as a downturned xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d, it is preferable that each have a horizontal cross-brace for enhanced structural rigidity. Alternately, structural rigidity may be achieved by configuring the legs as panels.
The first and second leg extensions are preferably alternately attachable to the lower ends of the first and second legs by removable attaching means, the alternate attachments allowing a first and a second configuration of the bag support assembly. Where the first and second leg extensions are attached to the lower ends of the first and second legs in the first configuration, the first and second leg extensions span between the first and second legs while extending downwardly therefrom. Such first configuration beneficially forms a rigid box frame for bag support. Where the first and second leg extensions are attached to the lower ends of the first and second legs in the second configuration, such leg extensions respectively independently extend from the first and second legs, allowing them to continue to move pivotally with respect to the upper frame. Such second configuration allows the legs and leg extensions to be pivotally splayed at various angles with respect to the ground, allowing height adjustment of the upper frame.
A preferred removable attaching means for attaching the leg extensions to the legs comprises upwardly opening or downwardly opening slip joints, the slip joints, when upwardly opening being fixedly attached to the upper ends of the leg extensions, the slip joints, when downwardly open, being fixedly attached to the lower ends of the legs. Other removable attaching means which may suitably be utilized for attaching the leg extensions to the legs are threaded rotatable couplings, eye and shear pin joints, snap fasteners, and plate mounts. Preferably, the leg extensions are fabricated from xc2xcxe2x80x3 to xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3 steel bar stock welded in an xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d configuration. Preferably, a second crossbar is provided for additional structural rigidity. Alternately, structural rigidity of the leg extensions may be enhanced by configuring the leg extensions as panels.
In operation of the inventive bag holder assembly, the leg extensions may be attached to configure the holder either as a rigid box frame, or with legs splayed at a selected angle raising the upper frame to a desire height. Where the bag holder is configured as a rigid box frame, the holder may simply rest upon a hard surface. Alternately, the lower ends of the leg extensions may be driven into soft ground surfaces, preventing the holder from overturning in strong wind. Where it is desirable to allow the ground to support the floor of a short bag while filling such bag with heavy leaves or grass, the second configuration is utilized. In the second configuration, outward splaying of the legs and independently attached leg extension allows such bag to be lowered until the floor of the box rests upon the ground. In the second configuration, the lower ends of the leg extensions may similarly be driven into the ground, providing stability to the bag holder.
When the inventive bag holder assembly is not in use, it may be conveniently disassembled, folded and stacked in a small storage container.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bag holder assembly which is alternately configurable as a rigid box frame or a height adjustable leg splaying frame.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a bag holder which may be compactly folded and stored when not in use.